Hilton Head resort needs to pay its fair share in Sea Pines, residents say

Some Sea Pines residents faced with possible increased fees say the commercial resort operating in the community is not paying its fair share.

Residents could see a referendum next year to raise their $1,018 annual dues as infrastructure needs grow in the aging community, though no decisions have been made.

Dana Advocaat, Sea Pines resident and administrator of Voices of Sea Pines, said she isn’t against increasing her dues, but Sea Pines Resort needs to chip in more as well.

Voices of Sea Pines is a website set up by residents in recent months to keep the community informed on any proposed fee increases, among other issues facing the neighborhood.

Sea Pines Resort pays about $207,000 annually to maintain the community while collectively residents cover about $6 million, Advocaat said.

“The residents are losing ground to commercial interests,” Advocaat said.

Steve Birdwell, president of Sea Pines Resort, said via email that the resort was aware of some of the concerns raised by residents.

“We hope and expect to reach a mutually agreeable solution which will allow Sea Pines Resort to make additional improvements in the Sea Pines community,” Birdwell said. “Sea Pines has a long history of doing what is right and fair, and we’re confident a fair and equitable solution will be found to the resident’s concerns.”

Birdwell said he was unable to comment more because he was on vacation.

After hearing concerns, the Association of Sea Pines Plantation recently started discussions with the resort about its annual investments, Charlie Miner, association president said Thursday.

“This is a plantation that is over 50 years old,” Miner said. “It is wore out and we need to figure out a reasonable revenue source.”

Miner said current revenue will not cover future projects, which could include updating roads and technology infrastructure.

Yet, he was uncertain Thursday of where that revenue will come from.

Finding revenue options in Hilton Head’s flagship community can be tricky, Miner said. He said three groups share responsibility for the community — residents, the Sea Pines Resort and other business owners such as the Salty Dog Cafe.

“Each one has rights, and each one has obligations,” Miner said. “You can go to them (Sea Pines Resort) and say, ‘I would like you to double what you are paying,’ and they could say, ‘No, I don’t have any obligation to do that.’ ”

Advocaat argues that Sea Pines Resort has more than an equal share of power in the community, something some residents would like changed.

For example, the resort has the ability to veto any referendum passed by residents, Advocaat said.

“Even if the residents vote, and we all vote and say, ‘Mr. Resort, you owe us more money; you are going to have to pay’ — they can still veto our decision,” Advocaat said.

Advocaat said there will be a call to vote against any referendum to raise residential dues if the resort doesn’t agree to start providing a greater portion of revenue.

This story was originally published September 16, 2016 at 6:07 PM with the headline "Hilton Head resort needs to pay its fair share in Sea Pines, residents say."